Refugees in Greece divided into two groups after EU-Turkey agreement

CAFOD’s Humanitarian Director, Matthew Carter, has contrasted the situation of refugees arriving in Greece before and after the EU-Turkey agreement.

Prior to the EU-Turkey deal, a refugee arriving in the Greek islands would have been able to travel to mainland Greece and possibly continue their journey through Europe. Post agreement, refugees are being held in detention centres where they can either claim asylum in Greece or be returned to Turkey. ‘Conditions inside the detention centres are poor and in some cases do not meet humanitarian standards’, says Matthew.